EFFECTIVE DATE: 6/19/2015 PURPOSE: The purpose of the LSU Health New Orleans document is to provide procedural instruction for parties responsible for properly authorizing and accurately documenting leave in accord with LSU System PM-20 and the LSUHSC-New Orleans Attendance & Leave policy. As specified in PM-20, Employees shall not absent themselves from their duties without proper authorization. It is the responsibility of the department head or other designated official to receive and review requests for all leaves of absence for employees and approve or disapprove such requests in accordance with University System policy, and to ascertain that accurate leave records are maintained for reports on leave accrued and leave taken on appropriate leave forms. Generally, an employee should not post or maintain his/her own attendance and leave records. All academic, unclassified and classified staff shall comply with all State regulations, LSU System PM-20, and University policies and procedures related to employees attendance and leave. Roles and Responsibilities The Department Head is accountable for ensuring departmental adherence to all provisions of the Attendance & Leave procedures detailed herein. It is acknowledged that there may be differences across departments with regard to how these responsibilities are distributed. In this procedure, Department refers to the Department Head or the individual(s) to which the responsibility has been delegated in writing. Supervisor refers to the direct supervisor of an employee or its nearest equivalent. (e.g. Business Manager, Executive Assistant or other delegated authority) Unclassified Employees / Faculty Responsibilities: 1. It is the responsibility of the employee to report his/her leave to their supervisor. Leave balances are available in PeopleSoft Self-Service. 2. It is important to monitor one s leave balances to ensure accuracy. In addition, leave cannot be taken in advance. To request leave (i.e. Annual, Sick, Leave without Pay, Funeral, Educational, Military, and Civil) submit a completed University approved Application for Leave form in advance to the immediate supervisor. In situations in which prior notification is not possible (e.g. unplanned sick leave), complete the Application for Leave immediately upon return to work. Page 1 of 13
LSUHSC-NO s Application for Leave Form must be used. It can also be found on Human Resource Management's Homepage, or obtained from the department's business office. 3. Leave can only be taken in an initial half hour increments, with all subsequent time taken in quarter hour increments. 4. It is the employee s responsibility to acknowledge the accuracy of their time and effort by signing the monthly Time and Attendance Voucher. If unable to physically sign the form on a timely basis, the employee must forward an email with the certification statement to his or her department s business office. 5. Report all instances of military deployment to your Department Head and Human Resource Management s Employee Relations Manager, to ensure compliance with applicable federal law and university policy. This would apply to the usual annual active duty requirement as well as activation for any other reasons and includes any absence for military reasons, whether it is charged to military leave, annual leave, or leave without pay. 6. If an employee transfers to another department of the University, all original attendance and leave records, including but not limited to Application for Leave forms, should be maintained in the original department in accordance with the University s retention policy. 7. If an employee transfers to another State agency, it is the employee s responsibility to provide Human Resource Management the name of the new agency in order to facilitate the proper transfer of individual leave balances. 8. Any employee who does not follow the University s policies and procedures may be subject to disciplinary action. Classified Employees Responsibilities: 1. It is the responsibility of the employee to report his/her leave. It is the timekeeper s responsibility to ensure the leave is recorded in PeopleSoft. Employees are expected to monitor their leave balances for accuracy. Leave cannot be taken in advance, so employees must ensure they have enough leave in the system prior to submitting a request. An individual's available leave balance is the ending balance from the previous pay period. Questions related to an individual leave balance should be directed to the timekeeper. Page 2 of 13
2. Employees must submit a completed University approved Application for Leave Form for all types of leave (i.e. Annual, Sick, Leave without Pay, Funeral, Educational, Military, and Civil) to their immediate supervisor, in advance. In situations in which prior notification is not possible (e.g. unplanned sick leave), employees must complete the Application for Leave immediately upon return to work. The LSUHSC-NO Application for Leave Form, on the Human Resource Management's Webpage is required. 3. Classified employees are responsible for certifying the accuracy of their hours worked and leave taken by signing a Time Detail Report at the end of each pay period. Supervisors are responsible for reviewing the reports and ensuring they are completed, signed, and accurate. Actual employee and supervisor signatures must be present on all Time Detail Reports generated from PeopleSoft. 4. Ensure leave is charged in increments of one-tenth hour (6 minutes) Civil Service Rule 11.7(c). 5. All instances of military deployment must be reported to the department's business office and to Human Resource Management s Employee Relations Manager, to ensure compliance with applicable federal law and university policy. This would apply to the usual annual active duty requirement as well as activation for any other reasons and includes any absence for military reasons, whether it is charged to military leave, annual leave, or leave without pay. 6. If an employee transfers to another department of the University, the employee's leave documents will remain with the department where initiated and approved. 7. If an employee transfers to another State agency, it is the employee's responsibility to provide Human Resource Management with the name of the new agency in order to facilitate the proper transfer of individual leave balances. 8. Any employee who does not follow the University s policies and procedures may be subject to disciplinary action. Supervisors Responsibilities: 1. Ensure that all employees submit a completed University approved Application for Leave Form for all types of leave (i.e. annual, sick, Leave without Pay, funeral, educational, military, civil). For all approved leave, ensure that the supervisor approval Page 3 of 13
is appropriately documented (i.e. signed) on the leave form prior to forwarding to the timekeeper. For situations in which prior notification is not possible (e.g. have to call in sick), supervisors should ensure the employee completes the Application for Leave immediately upon returning to work. 2. For Unclassified employees, supervisors must ensure leave is reported in an initial halfhour increment and that all subsequent time is reported in quarter-hour increments. 3. Ensure that the employee has leave available prior to approval. Leave cannot be taken in advance. A classified employee s available leave is on his/her check stub for the previous period. The department s timekeeper has access to the available leave balances for unclassified staff and faculty. Supervisors may also view available leave balances for employees under their supervision by requesting view only access to Monitor Absence in PeopleSoft. A request to Human Resource Management initiates the process for requesting this PeopleSoft access. 4. Ensure that, in addition to the completed Applications for Leave, a Per-3 is completed and forwarded to Human Resource Management for all instances of LWOP of 30 consecutive calendar days or more. (The approved Application for Leave Form located on Human Resource Management's website is required.) For LWOP that involves a partial day, the specific hours must be noted and highlighted in the comment section. For all employees on LWOP for 30 consecutive calendar days or more, service time, for leave earning purposes, will be adjusted, i.e. the leave accrual change date will move forward for the amount of time on LWOP. 5. Ensure emails are submitted to the appropriate distribution list as soon as the department is aware of an employee on LWOP, Separation from the University, and/or Change in FTE. 6. Ensure that individual work schedules are maintained in the department for all employees (Full and Part-time). Actual schedules worked for part-time employees must be included with the LWOP leave slip in order to verify the accurate dollar amount of LWOP. Page 4 of 13
7. Unclassified monthly attendance and leave vouchers must be signed by all employees. Supervisors are responsible for certifying that leave was taken for absence(s) from work. All leave taken is reported to Human Resources Management. The signed certification voucher must be received in Human Resource Management by the 3 rd of the following month. For example, leave for June should be sent to Human Resource Management no later than July 3 rd. If the 3 rd falls on a holiday, please send the voucher no later than the first available business day after the holiday. If the leave certification voucher is not received in a timely manner, the employee s leave accrual balance will continue to reflect a leave balance that is on month in arrears. If the employee is at a distant location, have the employee send an email certifying to the statement at the end of the voucher (include the wording on the email) and attach it to the monthly voucher. 8. For employees whose time is recorded in PeopleSoft Time & Labor, review all Time Detail Reports for accuracy and to ensure that the employees signatures are present. Both the employee s and the supervisor s signatures must be present prior to submitting to the timekeeper for input. In rare cases where an employee is on extended leave and the deadline for the time sheets transmittal to the Payroll Office or timekeeper is at hand, signing and noting employee is on extended leave is acceptable. If the employee has time worked on the Time Detail report, the employee must sign the form immediately upon their return to work. 9. Ensure all employees report all instances of military deployment to the department business office and to Human Resource Management s Employee Relations Manager to ensure compliance with applicable federal law and university policy. This would apply to the usual annual active duty requirement as well as activation for any other reasons and includes any absence for military reasons, whether it is charged to military leave, annual leave, or leave without pay. 10. Ensure that all student workers sign the Time and Labor Detail Report. All student time sheets should be maintained in the home department for audit purposes in accordance with the University s retention schedule. 11. Take any necessary disciplinary actions against any employee who is not following the University and LSU System s policies and procedures related to attendance and leave. Page 5 of 13
Human Resources Responsibilities: Human Resource Management 1. Develop, implement and distribute to all Faculty and Staff. 2. Develop, implement and distribute the University approved Application for Leave. 3. Review and Update, as necessary, and distribute the Attendance and Leave Policy and Procedures on an annual basis. 4. Ensure all leave accruals are adjusted accurately when necessary and on a timely basis. Ensure those adjustments are fully documented. 5. Ensure employees adjusted service dates are adjusted when an employee takes LWOP over 30 days or more. 6. Ensure all leave is entered into PeopleSoft on a timely basis. 7. Develop the approved method for calculating part-time holiday pay. 8. Establish and implement procedures to identify Period of Appointments who become eligible for earning leave. 9. Ensure Period of Appointments roll onto the leave earning Monthly Certification Reports when they enter leave earning status. Departmental Responsibilities: A. MAINTENANCE OF TIME AND LEAVE Academic, Unclassified, and Classified 1) The department head shall ensure that individual work schedules are maintained in the department for all employees (Full and Part-time). 2) When an employee is hired with prior State service the departmental timekeeper should verify that the appropriate service time and any eligible leave has been transferred and credited to employee s PeopleSoft leave record. 3) If an employee transfers to another department of the University, all original attendance and leave records including but not limited to Application for Page 6 of 13
Leave forms should be maintained in the original department in accordance with the University s retention policy. 4) All applications for leave, monthly reconciliations, and any other related time and/or leave documents should be retained in the department in accordance with the University s retention policy. 5) No employee shall approve or maintain records for his/her own leave. B. CERTIFICATION OF TIME Academic and Unclassified Academic and unclassified employees must certify monthly that all leave taken (when applicable) was reported and that he/she worked the required number of hours commensurate with the conditions of their appointment. Actual employee and supervisor signatures are required. Signature on File and stamps are not permitted. If the employee is physically unable to sign the form an email from the employee attesting to and includes the same wording as on the certification form can be attached to the monthly leave voucher. When an employee is being compensated from more than one department or is appointed to one department and being funded from one or more different departments: 1) The employee s primary department should initiate, approve/disapprove, and maintain all time and leave documents, including but not limited to, leave slips, certification statements, LWOP PERS, etc. 2) When funding is involved with the other department(s) and requires a PER, documents should be routed from the primary department to the other department(s) for approval. Immediately upon notification of an employee changing percent of effort, send an email with the following information to HRMFTECHANGES@lsuhsc.edu 1) Employee Name Page 7 of 13
2) New percent of effort 3) Effective date C. HOLIDAYS Academic, Unclassified and Classified Human Resource Management 1) Employees shall be eligible for compensation on holidays set in PM-5, except: a) When the employee is on a restricted or temporary appointment. b) When the employee is on leave without pay immediately preceding and immediately following the holiday period. 2) Faculty and staff unable, because of religious beliefs, to work on a religious holiday not included on the schedule are to provide that information to their supervisor or department head/chair prior to such day. Annual leave, leave without pay, or adjusted work schedules will be approved unless doing so creates an unusual burden upon the employing area. 3) Holiday pay for part-time employees. La.R.S. 1:55 B (4) provides: When one or more holidays or half-holidays fall on a full-time employee s regular day off, his holiday shall be the closest regularly scheduled workday preceding or following the legal holiday, as designated by the head of the agency. Part-time employees having a regular work schedule will receive benefits in a similar manner as full-time employees except that their benefits will be prorated to the number of hours normally worked. (Emphasis Added). A good rule of thumb is to grant employees the same number of hours of holiday that you would charge him leave if he were to be absent on that day during a non-holiday period. For example, if an employee works four 10-hour days and is off Friday, then if the holiday falls on a Friday, the employee would have the next closest work day designated as a holiday. If an employee works four 9-hour days and then works four hours on Friday, and the holiday fall on a Friday, the employee would be off on Friday along with everyone else. The employee would not get extra holiday hours on another day. When an employee does not have a regular schedule, if a holiday falls on a part-time employee s day off, said employee would receive compensation in an amount prorated to the number of hours normally worked. For example, if a part-time employee is scheduled to work 32 hours that week, Tuesday Page 8 of 13
through Friday and a holiday falls on the Monday, the employee should receive 6.4 hours of holiday pay (80% of 8 hours). However, if the holiday falls on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday (a regularly scheduled workday that week), then the employee should receive 8 hours of holiday pay. 4) When LSUHSC-NO employees are providing services at a non-lsuhsc-no facility, those employees shall follow the holiday schedule of that facility when the terms and conditions of the contract require it. D. EVENTS OR CHANGES IN EMPLOYEES STATUS REQUIRING NOTIFICATIONS FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE For purposes of Family Medical Leave benefits, a year is defined as the twelve month period beginning with the date the employee first uses FMLA designated leave. Supervisor s Responsibilities When an Employee is on FMLA The Supervisor must ensure that FMLA leave hours are monitored and tracked throughout the time period to notify HRM in advance of exhaustion of FMLA. Once an employee reaches the maximum benefit of 480 FMLA hours: o No additional FMLA leave hours should be entered into PeopleSoft. o Notify HRM 3 days prior to the employee reaching their maximum benefit of 480 FMLA hours. When FMLA is due to the employee s own illness, obtain a doctor s release to work prior to allowing work to resume. (The employee must not work or clock-in until a proper release is provided.) Employee s Responsibilities for Returning from FMLA Prior to returning to work, the employee must contact their supervisor with their intended return date and time. If FMLA is due to the employee s own illness, present a release to work to their supervisor prior to resuming work. (The employee cannot start work or clock in until the release is provided.) LEAVE WITHOUT PAY Academic, Unclassified and Classified Employees Page 9 of 13
As soon as a department is aware that an employee is or will go on LWOP, an email should be sent to HRMLWOP@lsuhsc.edu whenever an employee starts or ends leavewithout-pay status. If there is any uncertainty or question about when LWOP status begins or ends, use this mailbox to have your question answered. When an employee takes greater than thirty (30) consecutive calendar days of leave without pay, the employee s accrual rate change date will be adjusted forward for the same amount of time. Actual schedules worked for part-time employees must be included with the LWOP leave slip in order to verify the accurate dollar amount of LWOP. When an employee is on LWOP for 30 days or less: Have the employee (Classified, Academic, and Unclassified Employees) complete an application for leave noting the LWOP for the specific hours with the appropriate employee and supervisor signatures. o For LWOP that involves a partial day, please ensure it is clear that the specific hours are noted for the specific day on the leave slip. A copy of the Application for Leave Form should be forwarded to Human Resource Management at HRMLWOP@lsuhsc.edu. The leave slip should be maintained in the department with other leave records in accordance with the University s Retention schedule. When an employee is on LWOP for more than 30 days: In addition to the above actions, when an employee is on LWOP for more than 30 days: Complete a Per-3 and forward for processing to Human Resource Management. For LWOP that involves a partial day, the specific hours must be noted and highlighted in the comment section. Service time for leave earning purposes will be adjusted, i.e. the leave accrual change date will be moved forward for the amount of time on LWOP. TERMINATION/SEPARATION OF EMPLOYMENT Immediately upon notification of an employee separating from the University by termination, retirement, or death, the department must email the following information to LSUHSC-NO Notification of Employee Separation@lsuhsc.edu: Page 10 of 13
1) Employee Name 2) Date of separation 3) Whether or not the employee is on an International VISA 4) State whether or not there are any special arrangements made with the employee for the period prior to the separation date? (E.g. working from home) E. USE OF LEAVE Academic, Unclassified, and Classified 1) Terminal leave pay is only paid if the employee has at least one hour of leave. Terminal leave is paid out in total to two decimal places. For example, if the employee has 1.2765, 1.28 will pay the entire amount of leave. Please note that leave should not be rounded up for leave taken and time that is unearned should not be paid. If an employee is tardy but has reported and is available for work, that employee cannot be prevented from working until a certain time and have leave enforced on them. For any specific questions and/or the proper procedures on handling this matter please contact Human Resource Management. 2) The advancing of annual and sick leave prior to being earned is not permitted. 3) Employees on Worker s Compensation or FMLA must use annual leave, if available, upon the exhaustion of sick leave. 4) Employees must be in leave earning status in order to use accrued leave. LEAVE EARNING Academic and Unclassified Employees Effective December 8, 1998, employees 50% or less do not earn leave. Employees 51% or more earn leave and service credit based on their percent-of-effort. Page 11 of 13
Prior to the PM-20 revision dated December 8, 1998, all employees accrued leave at their percent-of effort regardless of that percent. All employees in paid status and hired prior to December 8, 1998, are grandfathered and will continue to earn leave and service credit for leave earning purposes based on their percent-of-effort (even when converting back and forth with percent of efforts). If the employee terminates for any reason, they are no longer grandfathered, including terminating and being rehired the same day as Gratis. An employee on regular appointment or one deemed to be regular is defined as 1) an employee whose appointment is for a period of more than 180 calendar days, or 2) one who has been employed for more than 180 consecutive calendar days by successive uninterrupted appointments. Academic and Unclassified Employees: If the employee receives Supplemental compensation the leave slip and Per-3, should note in the comment section whether or not LWOP should be assessed against the Supplemental compensation. Supplemental compensation is part of total compensation and must be considered when LWOP deductions are calculated. Specifically, only when supplemental compensation is derived from work separate and distinct from normal duties and is still performed while on leave, consideration should be given as to whether LWOP on that portion should be assessed. Place the leave slip information on the Monthly Unclassified Voucher as with any other leave slip. Classified Employees 1) When an employee is furloughed and Civil Service requires the agency to give classified employees merit increases during the furlough period and the employee is ultimately terminated, the Terminal Pay is calculated at the higher rate. 2) Classified employees are not paid terminal sick leave at termination or retirement. Page 12 of 13
AUTHORITIES Human Resource Management LSU System PM-20 LSU System Bylaws and Regulations of the Board of Supervisors, Chapter III, Section 3-3 Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 Page 13 of 13